Fabric-tightener for bed-bottoms and the like.



W. A. POULNOT.

FABRIC TIGHTENER FOR BED BOTTOMS AND THE LIKE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. s, 1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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W. A. POULNOT. FABRIC TIGHTBNER FOR. BED BOTTOMS AND THE LIKE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. s, 1910.

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W. A. POULNOTQ FABRIC TIGHTENER FOR BED BOTTOMS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.3, 1910.

Patented Feb. 6, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

"1/0 WW /awe ma /uls afloat/12134) I WALTER A. POULNOT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FABRIC-TIGHTENER FOR BED-BOTTOMS AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 6, 1912.

Application filed September 3, 1910. Serial No. 580,302.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER A. PoULNoT, a citizen of the United States, and a residentof New York, county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fabric-Tighteners for Bed-Bottoms and the Like, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates more particularly to a device which may be made to take the place of a number of different articles by simply dispensing with certain of the parts or re-arranging some of them to form such different articles.

The primary object of the invention is to provide simple and eflicient means whereby the device, as a cradle for example, may be readily converted into a hammock, cot or chair, as well as other articles, and which device is simple in construction, attractive in appearance, and which may be readily assembled or taken apart to adapt it for the different purposes for which it may be used, thus overcoming the necessity of providing a number of separate devices and at the same time overcoming many of the objections incident to devices of this kind as ordinarily constructed.

Another object of the invention is to provide simple and eflicient means whereby the device may be lengthened or shortened to adapt the same for a long or a short hammock, a cot, a bed, or for a babys cradle.

A further object of the invention is to provide simple and eflicientmeans whereby the canvas or other material used to form the bottom of the cot or chair or other article may be readily and quickly adjusted to keep the same tight, and said adjustment may be made both lengthwise and transversely of the fabric.

A still further object of the invent-ion is to provide simple and eflicient means whereby one article may be readily converted into another, and which when converted. will be substantial and neat in appearance.

With these and other objects in view, the invention will be hereinafter more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and will then be pointed out in the claims at the end of the description.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view, showing a device which may be employed as a cradle or cot, and which may be suspended similar to a hammock. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary detail view of one form of means for fastening the runners on the up rights or corner-posts. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective View of one form of hammock. Fig, 4 shows how the device may be converted into a chair or set-tee. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view, showing how some of the parts when removed may be made into a cot and the part serving as the mattress portion lengthened or shortened according to whether the cot is used for an adult or child. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section on an enlarged scale, partly in elevation, showing how the take up and tension means, as well as the extension of the cot is controlled. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional plan view, partly in elevation, of a part of thedevice shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a transverse section, taken on the line VIIIVIII of Fig. 7 and Fig. 9 is a transverse section, taken on the line IXIX of Fig. 6.

In Fig. 1, a form of suspended cradle and cot is shown and at the forward portion of said device are the legs or posts 10, and at the rear portion similarly arranged legs or posts 11, forming the corners for the article, and on each post is a sleeve 12 which may be removably attached to the post by means of a thumb screw 13 or otherwise. The sleeves 12 of each post 10 and the sleeves of the posts 11 are connected by an element 14 which may serve as a runner or rocker when the device is employed as a cradle, or may serve as a further means to brace the legs or posts 10 and 11 transversely of the device. These elements 1 1 have a curved portion 15 forming the runner portion by which the cradle may be rocked and has substantially U-shaped ends 16, a portion of which, as 17 extends over the body of the element 14: for a short distance and passes through square or other openings 18 in the sleeves 12 and are removably fastened therein by means of thumb screws 19, as best shown in Fig. 2. The legs 10 and 11 at their upper ends are provided with fittings or elements 20. As shown the elements 20 have sockets in which the posts 21 are adapted to be held by means of screw threads or otherwise, and each element or fitting 20 has a part 22 in which is held one end of a longitudinally-extending rod 23, and a part 24 in which one end of one of the brace rods 25 is held. These end bars or rods may each be made in two pieces portion for the hammock or chair, and it is V desirable that this fabric .or flexible body have tension applied thereto not only transversely of the article or device, but also lengthwise. The fabric or flexible body 27 forms a cover for the frame and may be joined to the end rods by means of straps 28 or other fastening means, and said flexible body or bottom portion may have its front and rear edges made to form loops through which passes the rods 23. By

. means of the couplings or turnbuckles 26,

the rods 25 may be extended and this will stretch the canvas or flexible body transversely of the article, and cause the said body to be stretched or tightened lengthwise. The said canvas at its ends is looped for the reception of the transversely-extending rods 29. These rods may be made in two pieces or members, and intermediate thereof may be held together by a ferrule or sleeve 30 as shown best in Fig. 8, to permit the said rods to be lengthened or shortened. These rods 29 pass through loops in the ends of theflexible body orcover and have their ends bent or turned and each end enters an opening in a slide 31. The slides 31, one for each post 10 and 11, Figs. 6, 7 and 8, are movably held in the ends of the rods 23. The ends of the rods are made square, as at 32, as shown in Fig. 9, and are adapted to fit similarly formed openings in the corner fittings 20, and said ends may be held by means of screws or other means, as desired. Each end of each of the side rods is slotted, as at 33, at one side thereof for the free movement of the bent ends of the rods 29, and each of the slides is provided with a threaded opening through which passes a screw 34, on the outer end of which is a thumb nut or head 35 by which the screw may be rotated to cause the slide to move along the rod, the body portion of the slides .being made to fit and move easily within the said rods. As the rods 29 are held to the slides, it will be seen that by rotating the screws 34, the canvas or flexible body 27 will be stretched lengthwise of the cradle or body portion thereof, while the same may be stretched transversely through the couplings orelement 26, as previously described. It

. will thus be seen that simple and efiicient means is provided whereby the flexible bottomor cover may be properly tightened.

A rod 36 extends between the post 21 at the rear and front portion of the cradle and these posts'may be held at their upper ends in the fittings 37, and held to said rods 36 is a front piece 37 and a rear piece 38. These front and rear pieces may be of fabric, as canvas, and have loops at their upper edges through which the rods 36 pass, and at their lower edges may be provided with eyes through which lacing 39 may be passed so as to engage loops 40 on the canvas cover 27, either at the sides or under the same, though other suitable fastening means may be employed for this purpose. The ends of the cradle may be closed by wind shields or sides 4O" of canvas or other material, and these end pieces may be laced at the edges, as at 41, to the edges of the front and rear pieces 37 and 38 and at the corner posts 10 and 21 which are in alinement and said end pieces extending substantially the same height as the front and rear pieces 37 and 38. The lower edges of the end pieces may be held to the rods 25 by lacing, or may be fastened in any suitable way to another part of the cradlc,'and instead of the front and end pieces being made so that considerable of the lacing is shown, they may be extended far enough to permit the use of much shorter lacing orother fastening means.

The cradle may be made to rock on the runners 14 or the said cradle may be suspended or supported from above. In the latter case, the reach rods 25 have chains 42 connected thereto at one end, and these chains may be connected to a ring 43. At or near the ring 43, the chains have a slack portion, as at 43 and extending over this slack portion are springs 45 one end of which are connected to the ring 43 and the other ends to each chain 42. By this means, a yielding support is provided for the cradle.

When the article is intended for use as a hammock or suspended settee, the legs or uprights 10 are removed and the front piece 37" also removed. In this case, the fittings such as shown at 20 may be employed, or fittings such as shown at 43, Fig. 3, may be employed at the front corners as the latter will provide a better finish. The end or wind shields 40' may be the same as described in connection with Fig. l, or as shown in Fig. 3, and in either or both cases, the said end pieces may have a loop portion at the upper edge thereof through which passes a rod 44, one end of which may be hooked to pass into the upper end of the upright 21 or over and about the rear rod 36, otherwise the construction of the hammock may be the same as that shown in Fig. 1. The rods 44 may each rest against the chain 42 at its outer end, or may be fastened thereto if desired.

in Fig. 4, the bottom or base portion is substantially the same as in Figs. 1 and 3,

and instead of the posts or rods 21 being held to the fittings 20, these rods are held to a fitting 45 which may be adjustably arranged upon the end reach rods or bars 25. The rods 21 are connected by the reach rod 36 as in Fig. 1, and the adjustable slides or fittings 45 may be held by means of setscrews in their adjusted position, and the purpose of these fittings 45 is to bring the rods 21 forward toward the front edge of the chair or settee. These rods 21 and 36 form a back for the chair, and by adjusting them forward, permits the back to be brought closer to the front edge, though instead of the rods 21 fitting the slides 45, they may be held to the fittings 20. The back may be provided with a canvas or other covering if desired, and extending forward from the rods 21 may be arranged arms for the chair. These arms may have fittings to fit over the rods 21 and be held thereto by set or thumb screws, and these arms may be made similar to the posts or legs 10.

Figs. 5, 6 and 7, show a construction similar to that already described, except that the cot is somewhat longer than the cradle. This construction is the same as the cradle, except that the runners, and the front, rear and end pieces are dispensed with, and said cot is substantially the same in construction as the chair shown in Fig. 4 with the back removed. As in the other views, the legs 10 may have rubber tips 46 and the canvas bed or bottom 47 is stretched the same as in the other views and differs only in that it is longer than the chair or cradle, though it may be of the same size as that of the hammock shown in Fig. 3. In this construction, the rods 48 are much longer than the rods 23 and this may be accomplished by providing an additional member 49. This member 49 of each rod 48 has a threaded portion 50 to enter one of the slides 31 on one end of each of the rods or members 23, and the other end of said member 49 is constructed exactly the same as the ends of the members 28. The point where the members 49 and 23 are joined together, a ferrule or sleeve 51 fits over the same and the canvas or cover 47 is adapted to fit over the ferrule and connect it to the rods 23 as already described. The cover 47 is the same as the cover 27 except that it is longer.

It will be understood that the legs of the cot may be dispensed with when the cot is suspended or intended for swinging purposes, or the said device may have the legs 10 and 11 removed and used with or without a backing for the purpose of a settee, or a chair without legs.

It will be understood that all of the frame and rods may be of tubular metal or other material, and that the rocker parts of the cradle may be dispensed with and thus form a babys bed with sides, or the device may be suspended to form a babys hammock with sides, or a childs hammock without sides. It may also form a childs cot without sides or the construction shown in Fig. 4 may be used as a rocking chair wit-h or without arms simply by attaching the rockers of the cradle.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a simple and efficient device is provided which is adapted to be changed into a number of articles with very little trouble; that said device may be readily made and assembled; that simple and efficient means is provided whereby tension may be given to the cover or bottom of the article; and that the various articles when made will be attractive in appearance.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A device of the character described comprising sectional side members, means for connecting the adjacent ends of the sections of the side members, adjustable end members connecting the side members, slides longitudinally adjustable in the ends of the side members, means for adjusting the slides, rods connecting oppositely disposed slides, said rods being composed of adjustably connected sections, and a flexible bed bottom having its sides attached to the side members and its ends attached to the rods.

2. A device of the character described comprising sectional side members, ferrules connecting adjacent ends of the side sections, one section of each side being provided with a screw extension, a slide carried by the adjacent section and engaged by said screw, end members connecting the side members, said end members being composed of adjustably connected sections, slides movable in the ends of the side members, means for adjusting said slides, rods connecting oppositely disposed slides, said rods being composed of adjustably connected sections, and a bed bottom having its sides attached to the side members and its ends attached to the end rods.

3. A device of the character described comprising side members formed of adjustably connected sections, end members connecting the side members and formed of adjustably connected sections, transverse rods having their ends adjustably connected to the ends of the side members, said rods being formed of adjustably connected sections, and a bed bottom attached to the side members and the transverse rods.

4. A device of the character described comprising side members having slotted ends, end members connecting the side members, said end members being formed connected sections, and a bed bottom atof adjustably connected sections, slides adtached to the side members and rods. 10 jnstable in the slotted ends of the side mem- This specification signed and witnessed bers, means for adjusting the slides, said this 2nd day of September A. D. 1910. slides being provided With sockets, trans- WVALTER'A. POULNOT.

verse rods having downturned ends for en- Witnesses:

gaging the sockets of oppositely disposed WALTER D. MARs'roN, slides, said rods being formed of adjustably WILLIAM J. TI-IORPE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner 01 Patents.

Washington, D. G. 

